I mean I only responded to the specific account once in the chain 🤷🏻

Actually it is. You are the one saying not to trust the service.

Ok, please present us the material that causes you to mistrust.

Proton has been involved in some situations but it’s like the scenario I provided.

Accounts having an unencrypted line of entry “we can’t get the information off the Proton Server but the account is connected to a Google server so let’s go to Google instead.”

Or Proton not particularly putting up a hard fight against a government request. (Mind you no information is being handed over just an account being turned off with no means to recover)

Unlike those “we will delete your data for you.” Services. Proton operates under a Zero Knowledge Encryption, I.E. no one even themselves can read your emails.

Is it perfect? No obviously, if you use a recovery email that is not properly secured (say a Gmail account.) then congratulations your now vulnerable via the State asking Google.

But the privacy focus IS genuine